“So that is what the great Artemis
told us.” Selenius concluded. “Her oracle laid it out, and
though we find it very strange, and not in line with our warrior
tenets, we will not go against her wishes.”

Gabrielle tucked her staff in the crook
of her arm and rested her folded hands on the table in front of her.
“Okay, let me see if I have this straight.” She said. “You were
told that you won’t win this war unless a woman leads you.”

“I was not told.” Selenius
clarified. “I am just a warrior. The noble oracle consulted with
my masters, the high council of Sparta.”

Gabrielle waited for him to finish then
continued on. “So that’s why you sent that note to Xena.”

“She was the most logical candidate.”
Selenius agreed. “I’m sure you agree.”

The bard considered the question.
“Well, from your perspective I guess.” She said. “Not from
mine.” She concluded. “Anyway, Xena said no when your envoy
asked. I was here.”

Selenius nodded. “So they told us. We
met up with them two nights before last.” He said. “They were in
some disarray, they had been attacked they told us, and had escaped
from some savages near here somewhere.”

Solari cleared her throat.

“We brought that answer to the
oracle, and the oracle consulted the Goddess Artemis.” The man
continued. “The oracle told us we should come here and enjoin you
to lead us instead.”

Gabrielle blinked. “Me?”

Selenius nodded. “The oracle assured
us that since you lead Artemis’ people, you would of course join
our cause and assist us in winning this war.”

“Me?”

“Yes.” Selenius
agreed. 'Does that surprise you?”

Gabrielle rested her chin
on her fist. “About as much as you taking all your clothes off and
offering to cook nude in my mother in law's kitchen would, yeah.”

The Spartan blinked. “I
beg your pardon?”

The bard exhaled. “Look,
the Spartans who were here before made it pretty clear they don't
appreciate women in battle. Why on earth would you want one to lead
your forces? Even Xe?”

He looked puzzled.
“Because the goddess commands it, of course.” He said. “Whether
I, or any of my brothers in arms thinks an army is any place for
the... “ He glanced past Gabrielle at the stolidly glowering
Amazons. “Is any place for our fairer sex is not the point.
Artemis has given us her blessing, and directed us, and that's all
there is to that.”

“Artemis.” Gabrielle
mused.

“We were honored by her
support.” Selenius said. “Of course. We also send a supplicant
with offerings to Ares, but he has not yet returned, we hope to
secure his blessing also.”

Gabrielle was, at this
point, just stalling. “Hm. Ares.” The situation had taken a turn
she hadn't expected, even given her experience in the unexpected. “I
wonder what he thinks about all this.”

Selenius gave her a
strange little look. “Your pardon?”

“I wonder what Ares
thinks about all this?” Gabrielle repeated. “About his war being
turned over to his sisters?”

The Spartan looked
affronted. “We do not wonder such things about the gods.” He said
sternly. “They are beyond our understanding.”

“Hm.” Gabrielle
grunted softly. “Lucky you.”

“Maybe you could call
him and ask him?” Solari suggested. “Might be good to know, you
know?”

“Maybe.” Gabrielle
agreed. “Well, Selenius..”

The Spartan focused on
her. “Of course you have your doubts.” He said. “After all, did
my men not chase you only days before? All I can give you as an
answer to that is that we had not yet gotten word from the oracle.
We were concerned our presence would be noted and warned about, but
we know from watching none have left this village and so, we know you
do not intend to do that.”

“They did chase us.”
Gabrielle said. “Were those your men in the forest? The ones who
attacked us?”

Selenius frowned. “When
was this?”

“When we where heading
out to see who the soldiers were Xe's scouts spotted.” Gabrielle
said. “We had word of a big movement of people, so me and a few
others rode out to see who it was.”

The Spartan watched her
face intently. “You saw us.”

The bard nodded.

“And you were attacked..
before, or after this?”

“Both.” Gabrielle
said. “We were attacked on the way to the pass, and then again on
the way back, we were chased but we took an alternate route I know
and got away.”

The Spartans all shifted a
little, glancing at each other. “Regalas” Selenius turned. “Is
this so? Have we sent out men to way lay those in the area?”

The Spartan directly
behind him shook his head positively. “No, m'lord. You gave strict
instructions none were to leave the army. Only the point scouts,
riding a league before the troops went before us. We saw no one until
we were heading up the road, and these people rode out of the forest
and into our path.”

Hm. Gabrielle wondered if
they were telling the truth. She watched Selenius' face, but she
knew the man was a canny soldier and probably well used to hiding his
motives. If the ambushers weren't Spartans, then who were they? “We
also heard that the Spartans who came to speak to Xena.. they were
attacked also.” Gabrielle said, slowly. “They weren't sure by
whom.”

Selenius was already
nodded in agreement. “Yes, that is so.” He said. “They made it
back half their number.”

“And remember, those
guys in the cave.” Solari spoke up.

Gabrielle remembered. “The
men who attacked us weren't Spartans.” She said finally. “But I
think they wanted us to think they were.” She leaned on her elbows
again. “Selenius, we want no part in this war. Not my tribe, not
this town.”

The Spartan nodded. “So
our agents said.” He murmured. “But we do not require anything
from your .. ah... tribe, or from Amphipolis. We only require you.”
He leaned forward now. “Let me put my cards on the table. If you
come with us, my army will bypass this valley and go at all speed
for Thera. Warships will meet us there and carry us to Athens.”

“Thera.”

“But if you don't, we
must believe you to act against us, no matter how you protest
neutrality.” Selenius said, in almost a gentle voice. “And we
will not leave you at our backs.”

Gabrielle gave herself a
few long breaths to think about what to say to that. She wasn't
exactly surprised to hear the threat, but she hadn't really expected
for it to be put on the table so bluntly. She decided to accept that
as a mark of respect. “Selenius, do you really think you want
someone who you are asking to lead your army to do that under duress,
with the threat of destruction of my hometown?”

He shrugged slightly.
“Gabrielle, you were presented to me as someone who understands
war.” He said. “Xena would not allow an enemy free rein at her
back either, and we both know that.”

True. “Did it occur to
you that Xena will have a serious problem with this?” Gabrielle
countered.

“Did it occur to you
that we know that, and hope to draw her to us if you agree?”
Selenius countered. “As I say, this is war, Gabrielle. We are
willing to risk a lot for that. Are you willing to risk your friends
and family?”

The bard nodded, almost as
if to herself. “Are you willing to risk your army?” She asked.
“Or are you just going to pay Artemis lip service and keep me tied
up on the back of someone's horse?”

The Spartan leaned back
and studied her. “You do us no service. We are honorable men.”

Gabrielle smiled. “Then
answer the question.” She said. “If I had a dinar for every
honorable man who's taken a shot at me I could buy a villa in Athens
and give free wine to the whole city three times a sevenday.”

Behind her, she knew the
Amazons and the Amphipolitans were fidgeting. She herself now had a
throbbing headache that was sending tiny sparkles into the periphery
of her vision and it was all she could do to keep her body posture
relaxed and her fingers laced casually together instead of clenching
into fists.

What a mess. If she hadn't
regretted enough sending Xena on a wild Amazon chase before, she
certainly did now. She was mentally kicking herself in the back of
the head so hard it was a wonder her body wasn't bobbing forward like
a chickens. “Well?”

Selenius lifted one hand
in her direction, and gave her a tiny smile. “There are many in
the army who would not accept a woman leading us, no matter what god
or goddess commanded it. You are wise to understand that.” He
admitted. “But if you are willing to stand at my right hand and
allow me the facade of leadership, we might both receive Artemis'
favor as she surely will know the truth of it.”

Ah. Against her will,
Gabrielle found herself liking this guy. He was ruthless, but honest.
She leaned forward. “That's a fair statement, Selenius.” She
said. “And so, since you've been fair with me, I will be fair with
you.”

“And so?”

'If you're lying, and I
come to any harm, or if this place comes to any harm, Xena will find
you, and she will kill you, and she will kill everyone around you up
to an including the rest of the army you're with.” Gabrielle stated
mildly. “You're playing with a much bigger fire than you know.”

The Spartan paused, then
he sighed, and nodded. “I will remember that.” He said. “Though
I think I'm man enough to know my risks.” He added. “So will you
join us, Gabrielle? We have little time if we intend on making Thera
before the moon wanes.”

The bard stood up. “I'm
going to take a walk outside. I'll be back and let you know my
choice. Please stay here, and I'm sure mom will be glad to give you
some lunch.”

Cyrene snorted.

Selenius hesitated, then
nodded agreement. “Very well, but do not take long, Gabrielle. We
have little time.” He said. “Please.” He added, belatedly.

The bard pushed the chair
back and went to the side door, pushing it open and slipping outside.

Once there, she simply
leaned back against the wall of the inn and stared across through the
trees towards the stable, her eyes unfocused.

A moment later, Cyrene
came out of the door and found her there. “Gabrielle.”

“Yes mom?” Gabrielle
rolled her head to one side and gave her mother in law a wry look.

Cyrene put her hands on
her hips in a very familiar pose. “You are out of your mind if you
go with these idiots.”

“Am I?” The bard said.
“Am I out of my mind to want you all safe? Out of my mind to want
them to leave Amphipolis, and all the other towns in the valley
alone? Just how crazy is that?”

“Gabrielle, you can't go
with them. Their word isn't worth a potato in my pot.” Cyrene said.
“You'll end up a hostage and they'll still rape this place. It's an
army. We both know what that means. They need all the supplies they
can get.”

“I know.” Gabrielle
folded her arms over her chest. “And despite what I told him, I
don't really want Xe having to face off against that whole army.”

“She would.”

“Absolutely she would.”
The bard almost smiled. “I can picture it in my head, you know?
That whole army spread out across the plains, thousands of them
riding in one direction and my partner, by herself, riding in the
opposite direction with nothing but that sword and the chakram and
more guts than three armies against them.”

Cyrene studied her.
“You're not going with them.”

Now, a smile appeared on
Gabrielle's face, if only briefly. Then she turned, and walked over
to the back kitchen door, rapping on it lightly. It opened after a
few seconds, and Jessan's head poked out. “Hi.”

“We outta here?”
Jessan asked. “Those guys are lying like rugs, by the way. They're
all the way nervous.”

“We need to leave by the
back route.” Gabrielle said. “Can you get everything ready? We'll
take the high path out so we need to find a way to get the horses on
the road some other way.”

“I”ve got that
arranged.” Cait squiggled through the trees. “Goodness, that's a
bother.” She twitched the tunic she'd gotten from somewhere over
her thin form. “Two of Xena's fellows have a wagon ready, and we're
taking horses to market.”

Gabrielle felt a moment of
intense gratitude. “Good move, Cait. Just get out of here casually,
and meet us at the edge of the road where it bends towards Potadeia.”

“Right.” Cait said.
“Pally's gone up to get our things and then'll she'll be with me.
I'm sure we'll have a grand time.” She squiggled back out from the
trees and loped towards the stables, her pale hair bouncing as she
ran.

“Okay;” Gabrielle
said. “Now let me go be the bard.” She turned to face Cyrene.
“Mom, I'm going to try and buy some time for us to escape.”

“Good girl.” Cyrene
said. “We'll be fine, Gabrielle. We've been through this before.”

“Take everyone, mom.”
Gabrielle took her by the shoulders. “Take them up to the Amazon
village. You'll be safer there, than here.”

The bard gave her a wry
look. “I promised her, and besides, she's as big of a target as I
am if they figure out who she is.” Gabrielle squared her shoulders
and gently shoved aside her last reservations, as her heart naturally
urged her to put herself in the way of danger to protect her friends.

It was unnatural for her
to do otherwise.

But her guts were telling
her she had made the right choice, even if she took out the knowledge
that part of the urge she had to run was triggered by how damn much
she missed her partner and wanted to be back with her.

What would Xena have done
if she was here?

Gabrielle had to admit,
she really wasn't sure. But she also knew she woudln't have cared,
so long as whatever it was, they'd done it together. So now she
just had to trick the Spartans into giving her time to escape, then
go down Xena's path up by the cabin without killing herself.

Or anyone else.

It was just turning out to
be one of those days, wasn't it?

Gabrielle opened the door
and entered the inn. She gave the Spartan leader a brief smile, and
went back to the table, as everyone's eyes once again focused on her.

“You have decided. “
Selenius said.

“I have.” Gabrielle
agreed. “Of course, I will come with you. My family and friend's
safety is the most important thing to me.”

Xena closed
the door to her cabin, grabbing a piece of linen and drying her face
as she reveled in not being in the driving rain for a few minutes.

The ship was moving significantly
again, but she rocked with the motion and leaned against the wall,
debating whether it was worth changing into something dry for half a
candle mark.

That would, she figured, give the ship
enough time to plow through the waves and get close enough for them
to identify the smudge on the horizon that was even now almost
invisible in the heavy wind and rain.

She dried her arms off, then after a
brief pause, she unhooked the straps on her leathers and peeled them
off, draping them over the end of the bunk to, if not dry, then at
least stop dripping.

The leather was great protection, but
wet it was heavy and clammy and it rubbed against her skin
uncomfortably. It felt good to get it off and let her sore body
relax for a while.

It wasn’t worth switching to a dry
set, she knew. But she briskly removed the water from her skin and
then gave in and pulled a set of dry under wraps from her saddlebag
and changed into them, before donning a wool shift.

Half a candle mark. Might as well be
comfortable. Xena sat down on her bunk and extended her still booted
feet across the wooden floor, reaching over to snag her basket and
drag it over to next to her on the rough linen sheet.

She was aware of being tired. The
scant sleep and the constant stress were wearing on her, and she’d
escaped to the cabin to escape the staring eyes as much as the
falling rain.

She thanked the storm, privately. It
kept the patricians off the deck and out of the hair of the captain
who was doing her a big favor and didn’t deserve being browbeaten
for it.

Pain in the asses.

She dug the nutbread out and a crock of
mild cheese, and spread the one on a slice of the other before she
settled back to enjoy her snack.

Two bites into it, a knock came at the
door. Xena sighed, and debated not answering, then shrugged a
little. “C’mon in.”

The wooden portal opened and Iolaus
poked his head in. “Hey.” He entered sat down on the low bench
against the wall. “I heard the fellows from Athens talking.
They’re not happy with our detour.”

“Don’t care.” Xena nudged the
nutbread in his direction. “Have a piece.”

Iolaus didn’t hesitate. He cut a
chunk off and nibbled it. “I’m kinda worried about it too.” He
admitted. “I really need to get to Athens.”

“I know.” Xena wriggled her
shoulders into a slightly more comfortable position. “But I’ve
got a feeling it will be worth it. Anyway, if it’s really a
shipwreck, we need to stop.” She eyed him. “Insane as it is for
me to be telling you that.”

Iolaus had the grace to blush. He was
drenched as she’d been, his curly fair hair plastered over his head
and his leather vest dripping fat droplets onto the wooden floor.
“You really think it is?”

“My gut is telling me it is.” The
warrior responded. “I learned the hard way that I should listen to
it”

“Could be from anytime.” Iolaus
said. “Might be abandoned.”

“Might be.” Xena agreed. “We’ll
know in about a candlemark. Then we can haul around and head for
Athens.”

Iolaus rested his elbows on his knees.
“They finished fixing the hull.” He said. “Probably move those
poor guys down off the deck.” He glanced up at her. “Saw you
break out the first aid for the young lady.”

“Idiot.” Xena remarked. “Rubbed
herself raw on the ropes, then wondered why salt water stings like
hell. Some people don’t’ have the sense to get out of the rain.”

“Some people are tied up in the
rain.” Iolaus chuckled briefly. “So, what did they do? I never
got around to getting the story from you.”

“Depends who you talk to.” The
warrior gave him a wry look. “Denius says they snookered the
Athenian council pretending to be kids of some rich patron to be.”

Iolaus straightened, then leaned back
against the wall. “Ah hah.” He said. “Well, I guess it’s
technically against the law.”

“Mm. Anyway, I bumped into them
halfway to Thera.” Xena cut herself another piece of nutbread. “I
was minding my own business getting a mug of ale and they showed up
and decided to start trouble with the villagers there.”

“Ah.” Iolaus nodded. “So you
kicked their asses.”

“Not exactly.” Xena smiled. “But
I threw a kink in their plans, and your little friend there decided
to come after me.”

“What, that girl?” Iolaus’ eyes
widened. “She attacked you?”

“Not that kind of come after.”

“Ooooh.” The curly haired man
muffled a laugh. “Saucy wench.”

Looking back at it, Milena really had
been very precocious. For all her lack of age, she definitely was
grown up in her desires. “And then I kicked her ass.” Xena
concluded. “After she tried to force her way into my room.”

Iolaus stuffed the last bit of the
nutbread in his mouth and swallowed it. “Wow.”

“So when the stooges from Athens
caught me on the road on the way here and asked if I”d seen anyone
who looked like them… I told em.”

“You turned them in?” Iolaus
asked. “So that’s why they were so pissed off at you. I heard the
two of those guys talking and boy. “ He shook his head. “Glad
they’re tied up. You might get a quarter candlemark rest now.”

“Eh.” Xena reached into the basket
and pulled out a wineskin, uncapping it and taking a sip. “They
ticked me off trying to mess with those people. Serves them right to
get caught.”

“Mm.” Iolaus grunted. “I don’t
know if I’d have gotten in their way of bilking some of those
council members. They gave me a hive the last time we were in
Athens. I think crook’s a kettle calling a pot black coming from
them.”

Xena studied him, a little surprised.
It had been a few years, but she suddenly got the sense that her old
friend had changed as much or more than she had. “We didn’t
have a good time with them last time either.” She commiserated. “So
yeah, I know what you’re saying.”

Iolaus grunted. “Ungrateful
bastards.” He said. “It’s always what have you done for us
lately, lately. Even Herc was pissed of the last time we were there
at them.” He stretched his hands out and flexed the fingers.
“Takes a lot to get him pissed off.”

Xena thought about the last time she’d
seen the two of them and how much had changed in her life since then.
“Yeah.” She murmured. “He’s pretty laid back.” She
remembered, though, finding him in a dungeon showing a harsh and
cruel side to his person she hadn’t suspected him to have.

He probably hadn’t either, and Xena
had come to wonder after that if it wasn’t really the immortal part
of him showing. The Gods were like that, sometimes, weren’t they?

Xena took a slow breath, and let it
out. Yeah, weren’t they?

Iolaus stifled a yawn. “I wish this
damn storm was over already.” He glanced at the window. “I need
a decent night’s sleep.”

Good subject change. “Me too.” The
warrior agreed. “Unfortunately, I think we’ve got a shipwreck and
the rest of this storm between us and that.” She took another sip
of wine. “Tough night last night.”

“Saw you hold the tiller during that
whole thing.” Iolaus said, a smile returning to his face. “Nice
work, Xena.” He said. “Even with that crazy girl hanging onto
you.”

Yes, and her shoulders still ached from
it. Xena lifted the skin in his direction, then handed it over to
him. Her shoulders and back, and the front of her thighs where she’d
had to clamp herself in place trying to keep the ships off the rocks.

Hadn’t that been heroic? Noble? Self
sacrificing?

Painful and stupid, actually. Xena
tipped her head back and regarded the ceiling. Though she’d saved
herself some trouble in the bargain since she had no wish to be
stranded on a damn rock. “I wasn’t in the mood for swimming and
we’d have been doing that for a long time.” She said, then
paused. “And by the way, you never did get around to telling me
what you were going to do in Athens.”

“Ah.” Iolaus took a swig of the
wine. “Thought you forgot about that.”

Xena’s eyebrow lifted eloquently.

“It’s a little embarrassing.”

Xena’s other eyebrow lifted.

Iolaus’ face scrunched into a half
grimace. “Herc didn’t get a lot of the scoop on what was going
on with the war, but one of the things he did hear was that somehow,
for some reason, both Athens and Sparta think they have to be led by
a woman in order to win.”

Well. Xena stifled a wry laugh. That
did explain why they’d shown up on her doorstep. “That at least
makes some kind of sense.” She said. “Now I know why they were
after me.”

“Them too?”

“Not that kind of after.” Xena
rolled her eyes. “So – what does that have to do with you?”
She asked, after a pause. “You going to pretend to be an oracle and
tell them different?”

“I’m going to pretend to be a woman
and play into their game.”

There were very few times in her life
that Xena could remember being caught as completely offguard as she
was in that moment. For a long stretch of heartbeats, she simply
stared at her old friend, jaw slightly dropped, eyes definitely
widened.

Then her voice returned. “What?”

“That’s pretty much what I said.”
Iolaus said mournfully. “Pretty much that same inflection too.
Now.. “ He lifted his hands. “I realize desperate times call for
desperate measures, but I really thought Herc had gotten hit in the
head by a coconut one too many times when he asked me.”

Xena closed her eyes, then opened them,
then raised one hand and rubbed them with her fingers. Then she
shook her head rapidly back and forth.

“And I can see you agree with me.”
Iolaus sighed. “At any rate, I finally agreed to try it, but man.”
He shook his own head. “I’d rather be singing soprano in the
Athens choir, let me tell you.”

“Iolaus.” Xena paused,
uncharacteristically stifling her natural bluntness as she searched
for a better way to phrase what she was thinking. “Um…”

“Iolaus.” Iolaus said. “You make
a reasonably good looking man, but a hideously ugly woman. Right?”

“I wasn’t going to say that.”
Xena said.

“Really?”

“I haven’t seen you dressed like a
woman.” Xena’s nature reasserted itself. “Anyway, wouldn’t
it be easier to just find a woman and have them do it?” She sat up
and rested her elbows on her knees. “Was he serious?”

Iolaus took a long swallow of the wine.
“He was serious.” He sighed. “See, the problem is… we’re
a little short on women between the two of us.” He paused, and
glanced at the woman across from him, who was looking back at him
with a battle hardened stone face which nevertheless couldn’t keep
the twinkle from her eyes.

It reminded him, again, of the
mischievous sense of humor that lurked behind the warrior façade and
he waited for the comment, but Xena remained silent and waited for
him to continue. “You’re being good, Xena.”

Now the twinkle was definitely there,
as Xena briefly grinned at him. Unlike the last time they’d
traveled together, he found himself al lot more comfortable with
Xena this time around. He wondered briefly if it was because she’d
changed, time had passed, or he’d moved a little more towards
understanding the dark side in more ways than one.

Didn’t matter, he supposed.
“Anyway, Herc figured if I could get in there, and distract them,
it would give him time to talk Artemis and Athena into finding
something else to do other than make two armies fight and die to
prove a point.

Xena nodded at that last, obviously in
agreement.

“So here I am.” He concluded.
“And boy, I’m glad I ran into you because if anyone would know
how to be a sexy, ruthless woman warleader, it’d be you. Got any
tips?”

Xena finally chuckled audibly.
“Iolaus.” She shook her head. “That’s a damn crazy idea.
What makes him think the council will listen to an anonymous woman,
even if you do pull off the stunt?”

“Good question.” Iolaus passed the
wineskin back. “I have a cover story, something about being his
cousin so I can leverage his name with the bastards, but honestly I
was just going to wing it.”

“Dangerous.”

He inclined his head slightly. “Isn’t
it always?” He asked. “But if I can get in the middle of this and
stop it, it’ll be worth it. A lot of people’s lives are at
stake.”

And I could have stopped it. Xena,
though, felt at peace with that. I could have stopped it, and I
chose to live, and stay with Gabrielle, and to Hades with all of
them. “I’ll do what I can to help you, Iolaus.” She said, in a
quiet tone. “But I’m not going to Athens, and if that means they
all kill each other, then they do.”

“You don’t owe them anything.”
Iolaus nodded. “Herc has to do what he does. You don’t.” He
paused and studied her again. “That’s why your heroic stunts are
always so much more mind blowing. You could walk away from it all and
you don’t.”

“Most of the time.” The warrior
said. “This time’s different. There’s no winner in this
game.”

Iolaus leaned back against the wall.
“That’s exactly what I told Herc. “ he said. “Because y’know,
no matter what he does, no matter how noble it is, he’s just going
to end up in his father’s doghouse, his family hating on him, and
no thanks from all these rock heads down here who want blood.”

They looked at each other for a few
minutes.

“Sometimes it’s just not worth it.”
Xena concluded.

“That’s what I learned the hard
way.” Iolaus said.

Xena took a sip of the wine, and tilted
the bag at him.

If she looked objectively at it, of
course the obvious solution was for her to go to Athens and put on
the show that poor Iolaus was so ill equipped to do. She was the
most likely candidate, and though Athens hadn’t extended her an
offer – everyone thought they had.

Made total sense. If fact, she was sure
if Hercules had been there right now, he’d have asked. She was
surprised Iolaus hadn’t.

Unfortunately for them all, she wasn’t
going for it. “When we get to Athens, I’ll see if I can hook you
up with someone who can help you pull this off.” Xena said. “Then
I need to grab my damn missing Amazons and get back home.”

“That’d be great, Xena.” Iolaus
smiled. “Anything you can suggest, I’m up for it. I don’t
even know where to start with acting like a woman. I’m not really..
um…”

“No, you’re not.” Xena smiled.
“But once the weather slacks off, I’ll see what I can do to teach
you that, too.”

Iolaus’ nose wrinkled.

“Might be fun.” The twinkle was
back in those very blue eyes. “Hey, I even taught Gabrielle to
dance.”

“Uh oh.”

“I even have a dress you can borrow.”

“Oh.”

**

Gabrielle took the upward path at a
jog, ducking under some branches as she heard the Amazons head up
after her. “Let’s get a move on people.”

Solari caught up to her. “That was
some kind of. Uh…”

“Storytelling?” Gabrielle grinned
briefly. “Hey, they bought it.” She kept a tight hold on Dori’s
hand. “You all ready to go for a ride, Dor?”

“Fun, mama!” Dori hopped up onto a
rock and then down the other side. “We go wif Gogo again?”

Regretfully, no. Gabrielle glanced
back through the trees, glad they hid the somewhat undignified rush
up the mountain.

The Spartans had been given little
choice but to accept her story of an Amazon fertility ceremony of the
moon. Gabrielle had thrown her considerable powers of persuasion
into it, and off the top of her head had described the need and the
ceremony in intricate detail.

But they had made it clear they
wouldn’t wait for long, and she had barely the night to get her
group together, and escape before they’d start looking for her at
first light.

They would ride through the night, she
decided, and hole up near daybreak, hopefully on the other side of
the pass. She wanted to get ahead of the army, but not so far that
they neglected to chase her.

“Not intentionally.” Gabrielle
headed to the right, where the path turned into the Amazon village.
“I just can’t walk into their clutches.”

“You don’t trust them.”

“Hades no.” The queen shook her
head as they cleared the guard and entered the village grounds. “Not
further than I can pick that guy up and throw him. He talked a good
game, but they’ve got no intention of keeping their word.”

“Huh.”

“There’s no reason for them to.”
Gabrielle turned and walked backwards. “Dori, let’s go and get
our stuff ready, okay? Soli, make sure everyone’s ready at the
gates in a candlemark. Bring all the supplies we can carry because I
don’t’ know how long we’ll have to march rough.”

“Right.” Solari darted off. Nala
hesitated, then followed her.

That left Gabrielle to turn back around
and continue heading for her quarters, her mind abuzz with
possibilities.

Chief among them was the possibility
she wasn't making the right choice. Despite her words to the
Amazons, her words to Cyrene, and the advice of everyone from the
forest dwellers to the militia there was still that core in her that
wondered.

Maybe there always would be that core.
Gabrielle entered her quarters and went to the packing she'd left.
She'd gotten so far as to add some extra shirts for Dori when she
rummaged in the bottom of the trunk she'd brought down from the cabin
and felt her fingers hit something unexpected.

A little puzzled, she pushed aside a
stack of towels and spotted something glinting in the light. She
closed her fingers around the unexpected item and drew it out, gazing
in some confusion at the sword she now held.

“Where in the Hades did this come
from?” She murmured aloud, her brow creasing. IT was a beautifully
made weapon, reminding her a little of Xena's but smaller, and
lighter and as she turned it in her hand, it seemed fitted to it.

Then she remembered. “Oh. Damn.”

A sword that fit her hand, because it
had been made to fit it, to the exacting specification of Xena's
request. The blade was finely hammered, and the perfection of the
finish made her wonder again if her partner had a hand in the making
itself.

Wouldn't surprise her. Gabrielle
started to put the sword back, then she hesitated and left it out on
the top of the chest as she went back to get everything else ready.

“Mama, ready.” Dori came out with
her own little bag, that had a small collection of her rocks, and her
Boo doll in it. “We c'n go now? Gotta go to Boo.”

Her little face was serious and it made
Gabrielle smile. “In a little while, Dor. I want to go too. We're
going to have to climb down the mountain, wont' that be fun?”

“Go with Boo?” Dori cocked her
small head. “Up the moutain?”

The trail they would take Gabrielle
knew Dori knew well. It was one of the places her partner took their
daughter flying in the morning, on the edge of the cliff they made
their home on. “Yes. You can show me the place with the birds,
okay?”

“Okay.” Dori put her bag down and
went to the door. “Mama c'n I go see my friends?”

Gabrielle glanced out the window,
judging the light. “Yes you can, honey. You can go play, but stay
near the middle, okay? So I can see you when it's time for us to go
find Boo.”

“Okay!” Dori disappeared in a
flash, bolting across the grass towards the group of Amazon children
playing ball in distance.

Gabrielle smiled, then she went back to
her task, a little pensive. Dori would miss her friends, both here
and in the town, and she felt a little sad taking her away from the
kids she'd learned to play with.

Ah well.

The knock on the door didn't really
surprise her. “C'mon in.” She got the last of the laces tied up
and straightened as Renas and three other of the elders entered.
They looked upset, and angry, and the bard felt her body responding
to that.

She stood a little taller, moving over
her center of gravity as she glanced towards the corner where her
staff was leaning. “What can I do for you? I'm a little busy right
now.”

“So you intend on running off and
leaving us to the Spartans?” The elder next to Renas asked sharply.

Renas twitched a little and made a
gesture.

“You shut up, Renas. No one asked you
to come with us.” The elder said. “You talk the talk, but it's
time to walk the walk now, beat it.”

Gabrielle felt a cold chill, then a
flush work it's way over her skin. She curled her hands slightly and
stepped forward, recognizing the elders in the room as those who had
always borne that grudge.

Well. “What's this all about.”
Gabrielle said. “I don't own an explaination for my decisions, but
that one was made with the best interests of everyone in mind.”

“If you leave, they'll destroy this
place.” The elder said. “Whose best interests? Yours, I guess, as
usual.”

Gabrielle felt that part of her that
was part of Xena stirring. She could picture the bristling of her
soulmate's hackles, and her own eyes narrowed, sensing the slow rush
of anger building inside.

“Mara, don't be so.. “ Renas said.
“Look, Gabrielle, you've got a responsibility for this place. Now
that you talked Ephiny into moving us here, you can't just let us get
ripped apart.”

Gabrielle leaned back against her work
table, forcing herself to remain calm. “I don't actually owe you
anything.” She said. “But if any of you had any brains at all,
you'd understand that my going to the Spartans or escaping has
nothing to do with what'll happen to this place, and the town.”

“B..”

“The town where my family lives.”
Gabrielle rode over the interruption. “Where my brothers, and
sisters, and the woman I call mother live, where my partner grew up
and the place she considers the home of her heart.”

“Gabrielle.”'

“Shut. Up.” The bard said. “Why
don't you take your mindless gripes and go somewhere else with them.
I've got work to do.”

“Then you're going to answer to us
first.” Mara put her hand on her sword hilt. “I'm tired of having
a queen who's no Amazon, and doesn't give a damn about us.”

Gabrielle stared at her. “Are you
challenging me?”

“Yes.” Mara said. “I think its
high time you stop hiding behind that soulless whore you sleep with
and put up, or shut up yourself.”

Xena had known. Gabrielle took a slow,
even breath. Xena had known, had sensed this, and had surrounded her
with friends, and people and... “ Her eyes caught a glint of light
against the surface of the trunk.

Had she even thought that far? Could
she have known this was brewing, and not said anything?

No. Gabrielle decided after a bare
seconds thought. If she'd have known this, she'd have never left.
That was just where the sword had landed, when they'd moved their
stuff up the mountain.

But now it was here. She rubbed her
fingertips lightly together.

“Well?” Mara said. “Let's get
this over with so we can decide for ourselves what to do and not have
to worry about you screwing us over.”

Gabrielle slowly looked at all of them.
“This what you wanted, Renas?” She asked the eldest of them. “I
thought you liked Xena.”

The elder flushed. “It's not about
her.” She muttered. “It's about who we are.”

“I see.” The bard straightened and
dusted her hands off. She could see the smirks in their eyes, and
now, she understood the resentment that ran just under their skin.
“All right.”

She walked over to where the sword was
resting and picked it up, slinging it over her back and buckling the
finely made, supple leather harness across her shoulder and around
her waist.

It fit perfectly.

Of course. She looked up at the group
and saw the hint of surprise there, just a flinch, and a jerk of the
head as they watched her. She reached up and drew the blade from the
scabbard in a smooth move she'd seen Xena do countless times, and
glanced at them across the extended metal. “Outside.”

Mara stared warily at her. “You
accept?”

“Thought you didn't use a sword.”
One of the other elders said.

'Listen, Gabrielle. You can just walk
away and forfeit.” Renas said. “No one has to get hurt.”

Gabrielle merely smiled, and indicated
the doorway with the point of the blade. Then she twisted her hand,
and twirled the hilt in her palm, catching it again before she
resheathed it. “I said, outside. I don't have time to mess with
you people.”

She waited for them to back out, then
she followed them, advancing until they were clear of the trees and
into the open. Amazons moving across the ground spotted them and
halted, seeing the drawn blade.

“Hey!” Solari came running. “What
in Artemis' left tit is going on here?”

Heads turned. “Amazons.”
Gabrielle's voice rose over the central square, projecting across it
without effort. “I have been challenged. Gather here to witness
this.”

She could sense the emotion, puzzlment
and outrage, Solari's face going bewildered to honestly angry in a
blink of an eye.

“What?” Aailene came up behind
Solari. “What's all this about? Mara, are you crazy?”

“Shut up!” Mara said. “You all
talk, and no one's willing to do anything? Well I”m doing
something! So join me or get lost!”

Gabrielle quickly scanned the group now
surrounding them. “Aailene.” She turned her head and looked
directly at the younger Amazon. “If anything happens to me, take
Dori down to Cyrene.”

Aailene looked stunned and horrified.
“B...”

“Take her to her family.” Gabrielle
clarified. “Understand?”

Aaliene stared at her, then she nodded.
“I understand, my queen.” She answered quietly. “Surely that
is her family as she has NONE HERE.” Her voice lifted on the last
two words as she stared angrily at the elders.

They stared back at her, in silence.

Now a big enough group had gathered,
and low murmurs were going around. “Lucky for you Cait's not here
you old blowhard.” Aailene finally spoke up again. “She'd have
your liver on the ground already Mara.”

Paladia came bolting up at that moment,
her eyes nearly coming out of her head. “Now what the Hades is
going on?” She asked Solari. “This place is nutsville today!”

“Ah, crap!” Paladia took one look
at the sword on Gabrielles back and for once, she just took off and
didn't question anything.

Gabrielle turned and faced her opponent
again. She made eye contact, and walked forward, stopping just out of
blade reach. “Ready?”

“Mara, you're an idiot.” Solari
said. “You all are, you old goats. Any idiot knows the damn
Spartans are going after her, they don't give a crap about us. She
goes, they go. “ The senior warrior stepped boldly between her
queen and the challenger.

“Get out of the way, Solari. We know
where you stand.” Mara said.

“Yeah. You do.” Solari stood a
little taller. “Always have. I don't change sides like some around
here every time a goat farts.”

The crowd stirred. “Watch your mouth,
Solari.” Renas warned.

“Shut up, you old fraud.” Solari
shot back. “You're not good enough to lick her boots.”

“Solari.” Gabrielle said, gently.
“Thank you. But please get out of the way. I don't want you getting
hurt.”

Solari turned and looked at her, seeing
the faint smile, and the look of gratitude. Then she slowly edged
back again, with visible reluctance. “This aint' right.” She
said. “This ain't no time to be screwing around like this!”

Gabrielle drew the sword again, fitting
her hands around the hilt and flexing them. “C'mon.” She jerked
her head at Mara. “You started this, now finish it.” She watched
the woman's body language with exquisite care as she stepped away
from the safety of the other elders and approached.

They faced each other, and she waited
until they were just paces apart, then let her eyes meet Mara's. “You
really want to die, Mara?”

Mara licked her lips, and shifted. She
was a big woman, almost Xena's height, with a burly builld and
powerful legs. “You really think you can take me, you little
fraud?”

“Yes.” Gabrielle replied. “Do you
think you can take me, old woman?”

Mara's eyes narrowed.

The bard kept her eyes steady, and
smiled just a little. “Either I'll kill you.” She said. “Or
Xena will.” She said, in a mild voice. “You, and everyone else
around you. There's no place in this world she won't chase you down
to.”

Gabrielle twirled the blade in her hand
again. “You want me? Come get me.” She curled the fingers of her
free hand into a motioning gesture, and grinned. “Better hope she
didn't teach me to do this as well as she taught me to do everything
else.”

For a moment, there was absolute
silence. Even the rest of the elders were silent, the ones around
Mara shifting a little, some of the others moving away a little. The
younger Amazons were watching her intently, tense with anticipation.

Ready to fight for her, the bard
suddenly realized. Not part of the rebellion.

Gabrielle's eyes never left her
opponent. She got her balance ready, aware of the warm sunlight
gilding her as it tilted down towards the trees. There was no time,
really to be afraid, and less to be worried about the consequences.

She just hoped her partner's spirit
would carry her through this. She was gambling everything she had at
the moment and she motioned Mara forward again. “Now or never. I've
got things to do.”

Mara took a breath, then she stepped
back. Her shoulders slumped, and she let the point of her sword
touch the ground. “I withdraw the challenge.” She muttered.

Huh? Gabrielle stared at
her in disbelief, then slowly let her blade lift up and come to rest
against her shoulder. “Good choice.” She said, after a pause.

“Chickenshit.” Solari
stepped back in. “Always a big talker.”

Nala raced up, with
Paladia jogging after her. “Your majesty!” She pushed through the
crowd. “Your poison finally got the better of you Mara? This is no
time for crazy challenges.”

Mara let the sword drop.
Then she turned and walked away, shoving her way through the crowd
and heading across the center square towards the furthest set of
living quarters.

The rest of the elders who
had come with her looked uneasy. Renas refused to meet Gabrielle's
eyes.

“I'll take care of
this.” Nala said. “I can see some asses need kicking.” She
turned. “Sorry about that, Gabrielle. I heard these graybeards
griping the last couple of days but didn't think they'd be this
stupid about it.”

“Why not? You're acting
like one.” Gabrielle said. She sheathed her sword and flexed her
now empty hands, giving her heart a chance to stop thundering. “I'l
deal with you all when I get back here.” She motioned to Solari.
“C”mon. Let's get this show on the road.”

“You got it.” Solari
followed her. “Boy I didn't see that coming.” She added, under
her breath.

“Me either.” Gabrielle
sighed, wishing her legs would stop shaking. She got through the door
to her quarters and got to the chair, collapsing into it as Solari
came in behind her. “Ungh”

Solari crossed over to
her. “You okay?”

The bard rested her elbows
on her knees and let her head drop against her fists. “The gods
damn them.” She said. “I can't believe they did that.”

“Well.” Solari sat
down next to her. “They're old timers, you know? They keep long
grudges.”

Gabrielle lifted her head
and regarded the dark haired Amazon.

“Yeah, I know. It's
crazy.” Solari admitted. “But hey, it worked out, right? She
backed off. I think she thought you were going to cave, like be a
creampuff or something.”

A darkly humorous glint
appeared in Gabrielle's eyes. “You think?”

Solari nodded. “She
figured you'd hand over the title and take off. I know she didn't
figure you to meet her with a sword.” She paused thoughtfully.
“Course I didn't either. That was pretty awesome.”

“Mm.”

“You been doing that
long?” Solari asked, after a moments silence. “Swordfighting?”

Gabrielle pushed herself
to her feet. She unbuckled the belt holding the sword on and removed
it from her back. “About a quarter candlemark.”

“Huh?”

The bard wrapped the belt
around the scabbard and set it on top of her bags. “I can't use
that any more than I could flap my arms and fly to Athens.” She
turned an put her hands on her hips. “Pretty cool bluff huh?”

Solari's jaw just dropped.

“Wait till Xe hears.
She's gonna freak out..”

**

“Well, woman, you were
right.” The captain was holding onto the rail as the ship pitched
side to side. He peered into the gloom, watching the hulk draw nearer
as they eased through the towering waves.

“I usually am.” Xena
was standing right next to him. It was hard to make out in the rain,
but she could make out an outline of a ship, half turned onto it's
side, with it's mast collapsed into the water.

There was a hole in the
bow, and she could see no people anywhere.

“Wasn't here when we
were headed inbound.” The captain commented. “But looks like we
were late to come to it. No one's survived.”

“They might be taking
shelter. We are in the middle of a storm.” Xena remarked. “Got a
horn on board? Blow it.”

Xena glanced behind them
and spotted Denius heading their way. “I'll handle him.” She
waited for the man to close in on them then she turned and faced him.
'Problem?”

Denius had taken a breath,
now he released it, grabbing the rail as the ship pitched. He stared
over the rail, and looked at the shipwreck they were closing in on.
“By the gods!”

Xena also turned. “Yours?”

Denius strained his eyes
and shaded them from the rain. “Damned if I know.” He said. “Too
destroyed.” He turned to her. “What is our profit from this,
Xena? We all have to get to Athens. We've been half a day diverting.”

“Our profit?” Xena
covered her ears, as the sailor let loose next to her on the horn and
an off tone, blaring honk sounded through the storm. “Saving
people's asses if there are any alive.”

“Is that a concern of
yours?”

Xena looked at him.

“Cap'n!” The sailor
bawled. “Lookie there, on the bridge!”

Xena turned back to the
rail and spotted what the sailor was pointing at, a ragged figure
hanging on to a piece of the broken mast, one arm weakly waving. As
she watched, another figure appeared, then a third.

The third was an Amazon.
Xena felt a smile crease her face, as she recognized Pony's
distinctive figure. She stood a little taller at the rail, gazing
at the forms until she saw Pony start, and point at her, then start
waving frantically.

Xena waved back, her smile
broadening as she watched Pony hop up and down, pumping her fist in
the air. “Guess she's glad to see me.” She muttered under her
breath. Then the Amazon disappeared, jumping off the top of the
forecastle all the while waving her arms.

Obviously going to tell
someone. Something.

Ah. The warrior's mood
brightened instantly. Not only had she guessed right, not only had
she found a shipwreck, not only had she found a shipwreck with
surivors on it who deserved rescue, but she'd been right and found a
shipwreck with survivors who also included the Amazons she was
looking for.

Amazing.

Gabrielle would be so
annoyed she'd missed it. She hated getting stories second hand, and
even Xena had to admit this little voyage of hers was turning out to
be very taleworthy.

“These seas, we can't
close with her.” The captain commented. “Got any good ideas,
wench?”

Xena was too cheered up to
even be annoyed with him. “Get me a rope and a crossbow.” She
directed. “We'll shoot a line over and bring em on one by one.”

“You heard the woman.”
The captain nudged the sailor, who was standing there with his horn,
gazing at Xena. “C'mon, you slug. Move your lazy bones.”

Now there were more people
collecting on the bridge of the damaged ship. Xena counted at least a
score, and her face twitched, thinking of the crowding they'd have to
suffer onboard their own ship.

She sighed, supposing just
rescuing the two Amazons was out of the question.

“Poor bastards.”
Denius sighed. “We must help them, I fear. I will get my men to
come on deck and assist.” He left, shaking his head.

“Looks like they
foundered on those rocks.” The captain pointed. “Guess they
didn't have the likes of you to haul em off em.” He nudged Xena
with his elbow. “Got more like you at home?”

“No.” Xena shook her
head. Then she paused. “Well, my kid.” She amended.

“Hah.” The captain
chortled.

The sailor came back with
the crossbow, handing it warily to Xena as he readied a coil of rope
slung over his shoulder. “M'lady.”

Xena examined the
crossbow. She removed the bolt from the mechanism and fished in her
belt pouch, pulling out a bit of gut from it and tying it to the end
of the shaft. Then she took the end of the rope and tied the gut to
it with a neat half hitch.

The captain laughed. He
had his spyglass out and he was studying the other ship. “Hold her
here, lads!” He called out. “Tell the oars to keep her aft, or
we'll end up on the same rocks and lady Posiedon here's too busy to
take the wheel.”

“Dont' curse yourself.”
Xena raised the crossbow and put the stock against her cheek.

“Gonna blow your damned
face off women. Take that down.”

Xena ignored him, picking
spot on the other ship that looked reasonably solid. She took a
breath, then let it out, waiting for the ship to pitch to the side
and steady before she squeezed the trigger mechanism.

It had a kick. But Xena's
grip was up to the task, and she held it steady as the line played
out. The bolt slammed into the ships mast, and she dropped the
crossbow and turned to the sailor.

“Gonna do that swing
trick again?” The sailor asked her. “Pretty crazy it was, the
last time.”

“No.” Xena took the
rope from him and went to a thick spar, tying the end of it firmly.
“Keep the ship steady.” She told the captain.

The captain was circling
his arm and yanking it, ignoring her. He waved his hand again, then
made the motion. “Stupid goats.” He smacked the sailor. “Blow
that damn thing. Look at those slags running like idiots.”

Xena returned to the rail.
“What's wrong?”

“Want em to tie off the
damn thing, woman.” The captain said. “Idiots!”

Finally the other ship
seemed to get the idea and two men went to the crossbow shaft,
reaching up to pull it out.

There seemed to be some
kind of panic onboard, Xena realized. People were grabbing at the
rail in some desperation, and she studied the ship carefully,
wondering if it was sinking.

Then she realized it was.
“Captain.” She pointed at the waterline, which was bubbling
heavily.

“Aye.” The man said.
“Men, get ready to send the ropes down we'll be pulling em out of
the water in a minute.” He turned to Xena. “Better to let her go
down, and we'll save what we can from the water. Too rough to get
closer.”

Xena studied the other
ship, then she hopped up onto the rail and grabbed the rope. It had
been tied off, and she gave it a hefty yank to make sure it was tied.
“Be right back.”

“Woman!” The captain
lunged for her. “Dont' be daft!!!!!”

Xena leaped out half
twisting before she grabbed the rope, swinging herself up and locking
her feet around the heavy hemp as it swung violently in the seas
between the ships. She waited to make sure it was going to hold,
then she started to pull herself along, heading headfirst towards the
wrecked vessel.

It was hardly comfortable.
The waves were rising up and lashing her, and the rain was hitting
her from above and sideways. The rope swung and creaked as the ships
moved apart and together, and she paused briefly as she reached half
way.

She looked up, to see the
clouds roiling and racing over head, and a low rumble of thunder
shivered against her skin as lightning flashed.

Not so good. Deep in her
guts, she suddenly felt a jolt of fear and she hung there as her body
shivered from it, feeling her insides tense up in reaction to
something she couldn't see or touch.

Gabrielle.

And before she could take
another breath, it was gone, replaced with an emotion of burning
anger that flushed through her, then faded.

What the Hades was going
on? Xena waited a moment more, then relaxed as the anger was replaced
with a gentle warmth, confusing but real.

Another false alarm?
Somehow, Xena didnt' think so.

She continued, moving hand
over hand up the slope towards the other ship, remembering too late
how sore her shoulders were from the previous day. “Ow.” She
grimaced. “Too late now.”

In another moment, she was
passing over the railing of the other ship and she released the rope,
somersaulting over the heads of the people rushing at her and landing
on the slanted, moving deck.

Everyone was babbling, but
in the storm and the chaos, she ignored them and focused on the
familiar face now closing in on her. “Pony!”

Eponin let out a curse as
long as Xena was tall and threw her arms around her, shocking the
daylights out of both of them.

Xena smiled and gave her a
pat on the side. “C'mon. Ship's sinking. We've got to get everyone
outta here.”

“We know.” Pony
started up the slanting deck, ignoring the people trying to grab both
of them. “Okay to leave the rest of those Amazon bastards in the
hold?That's where I left em. I hope they drowned.”

Xena's eyes popped wide
open and she almost stopped short.

“Mother whores.” Pony
said. “Tied us up and were going to sell us to the bastard
Athenians. They can all die far as I'm concerned.”

Pony snorted. She led the
way towards the forecastle, the part of the ship that was highest out
of the water, and as they cleared the mast and climbed up the slope a
small group of people stood up to meet them.

Chief among them, Ephiny,
who met Xena's eyes with a look of utter relief. She moved forward in
the rain and gave the warrior a hug. “Damn am I glad to see you.”

Xena gave her a light rub
on the back. “Likewise.” She released the regent and stepped
back. “Glad you both are okay.”

“Now that we got that
out of the way. What are you doing here?” Ephiny asked. “Are you
doing here what I think you're doing here?”

“Gabrielle sent me.”
Xena replied, simply.

Ephiny's face creased into
a grimace. “She was that pissed?”

“She was that worried.”
The warrior put a hand on her shoulder. “We found out a few things
after you left.”

“See? Tolja.” Pony
said. “Can we finish this stuff over on the other ship that ain't
sinking?”

Ephiny raked her pale, wet
curls out of her eyes. “Yeah. This is gonna take a while.” She
glanced at Pony. “You tell her about the others?”

Pony nodded.

“You really want to
leave them in the hold?” Xena asked.

“I really do.” Ephiny
answered, looking her straight in the eye.

Wow. Xena considered,
then she nodded in acquiescence. “Let's go.” She turned and
started back towards the rope. “You up for crossing on the line?”

“I'm up for getting off
this damn ship any way I can.” Ephiny was at her heels, with Pony
right behind her.

They came around the mast
and saw a crowd of people all fighting over the rope, pushing and
shoving, with no one crossing on it.

“Looks like we need to
kick some asses first.” Pony said. “Lemme at em.”

“Oh no, me first.”

Xena simply got out of
their way, and picked up a discarded oar, thinking maybe there were a
few details she'd leave out when she told Gabrielle what happened.